Convertible table-desk



No. 749,699. Y PATENTED JAN. l2, 1904.

T. M. MGKEE. v CONVERTIBLE TABLE DESK.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 1, 1902.

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UNITED STATES M Patented January 12, 1904.

THOMAS M. MOKEE, OF GREENFIELD, INDIANA.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,699, dated January12, 1904.

Application filed December 1, 1902. Serial No. 133,338. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LTHoMAs M. McKEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenfield, in the county of Hancock and State of Indiana,have invented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Table-Desks;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexactrdescription of the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to articles of furniture that are designed to beemployed as combination library tables and desks; and the invention hasreference particularly to table-tops or upper portions, of which partsthereof are designed to be employed as the desk-cabinets and of whichparts are convertible into the desk or writing-table. 4

The object of the invention is to provide a convertible table-desk thatmay be cheaply constructed, that may be easily manipulated, andinstantly and completely transformed from a table to a desk, or viceversa.

The invention consists in a table having an improved two-part top, ofwhich one part is fixed and the other part is movable and adapted to bedropped below the plane of the xed part and also removed laterally fromthe fixed part and means whereby the movable part may be controlled andmaintained in the desired operative positions relative to the Xed part;and the invention consists also in the novel parts and in thecombination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter-particularlydescribed, and pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 perspectively illustrates thearticle as when converted into a desk, as it may be constructed subjectto slight modifications illustrated in other views; Fig. 2, a verticalcentral sectional view longitudinally of the path of motion of themovable part, the top being arranged as a table and havingsupporting-legs (shown as broken away) inlieu of the cabinet-baseillustratedin Fig. l; Fig. 3, a fragmentary sectional view similar tothat in Fig. 2, showing a side elevation of supports for `the movablepart of the top, the latter being slightly removed from the fixed part,as when poised in a neutral position; Fig. 4, an end elevation ofsupports for the movable part of the top; Fig. 5, a longitudinal centralverti cal sectional view of the article arranged as a desk; Fig. 6, afragmentary sectional view of the forward portion of the articlearranged as a table; and Fig. 7, a fragmentary top plan view withthe topboard of the movable part omitted, showing the operative parts of themovable part in the positions assumed when arranged as a desk.

Similar reference characters in the drawings indicate correspondingparts in the several views thereof. Y

In the description the table-top will be understood 'as including thedesk-cabinet and the corresponding movable part and portions thereof asbeing distinctive from the supporting part and frame thereof.

In construction the supporting part of the article may comprise eitheran inclosed base arranged as a cabinet, as in Fig. l, or suitable legsand frame, as in Figs. 2, 5, and 6. The cabinet-base is pyramidal andcomprises four corner-posts a, two opposite paneled front and rearcasings b, and at one side are drawers c and e and doors 0l, whilesimilar conveniences may be arranged in the opposite side. Instead ofthe above construction legs f may be employed, which obviously may besuitably braced. At the upper portions of the stand or supporting partsis a suitable frame attached thereto, comprising a l horizontal portiong, Vto which the top parts of the table as alwhole may be removablyattached by suitable means, as will be understood. The top parts areeither built upon or connected with and supportedby means of a suitablebase-frame comprising portions A and portions A in aplane just above theportion A, this base-frame being adapted to be attached to either one ofthe stands above described. The top is divided transversely, forming apart xed to the base-frame and a part connected movably by means ofsuitable devices with the base-frame. The xed part has sides B, and themovable part has sides B. Suitable corner-pieces O O may be attached tothe slides, and a back `B2 is usually attached IOO to the sides B ortothe corner-pieces C. The xed part has a top board D attached theretoand the movable part has a top board D..

attached thereto, the two top boards being in the same plane as oneboard when the article is arranged as a table. The fixed part has aoor-board E, and immediately at the front of the Hoor-board is asupplemental top board E, which, as shown in Fig. l, may be composed oftwo separate pieces and which may also be composed of a single board, asin Figs. 2 and 5. The sides B, back B2, top board D, and floor E are allconnected together. The movable part is provided either with a hingedfront F or with a front F, permanently connected with the sides B andtop board D, the front F being permissible when a rather high stand isemployed, but would be obstructive on a low stand and interfere with theknees of the writer seated at the desk. The interior of the fixed partof the top is provided with suitable compartments or cabinet-receptaclessuitable for desks, as by means of partitions t and one or more drawersz', arranged above the floor E.

The movable part of the top is supported and its movements controlled bymeans of a plurality of arms two at each side of the tabledesk, as armsG G', pivoted substantially to the base of the top, preferably to theportions A', and movable radially in vertical planes, the opposite orswinging ends of the arms being pivoted substantially to the movablepart, at the upper portions thereof. As preferably arranged,specically apair of the arms are connected by pivots in' to a plate H, having afiange j, the plate being attached. to the portion A or to any othersuitable part of the base. A plate H is attached to the inner side of aside B and is also connected by pivots Z to the swinging ends of thearms G G. Thus the connections may be made to operate precisely. Thearms are so arranged that when standing perpendicularly, as they may,the board Dl will be somewhat removed from the board D and also be in ahigher plane, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that by the force of gravitythe movable part will be held against the lixed part of the top and willbe partially supported thereby, as will be seen in Fig. 2. It will beseen that the plates H and H are in different vertical planes, so thatwhen the arms G G are moved to horizontal positions the two plates maylie in the same horizontal plane with the arms between them.

The front F is provided with hinges m m at its lower edge, which areattached to the portion A of the base, so that the front may swingforwardly and downwardly from its upright position, and the front isconnected with the top board Dl by means of a strip n, attached thereto,and a hinge-plate I, attached to the strip, together with a guide-barVJ, which is connected to the plate I by a pivot or hinge pin 7a, theguide-bar extending into an opening g in a guide-block K, that issecured to-the inner face of the front board F. Ifpreferred, a pair ofthe sliding connections may be employed, as indicated in Fig. 7. Anysuitabledevice may be employed for supporting the arms G G in theirhorizontal positions, as the ends of the front piece of the base part A,projecting slightly beyond the side pieces thereof.

It will be understood various modifications may be made in the detailsof construction of the various parts and that other devices than thepivoted arms may be employed for supporting and controlling thepositions of the movable part of the two-part top within the scope of myinvention.

In practical use, assuming that the article is arranged as a desk, as inFigs. l and 5, the movable part may be lifted readily if the operatorstand at the front of the desk until the arms G G' assume uprightpositions, as in Fig. 3, when the part will be poised upon the armsslightly higher than the fixed part. rlhen a slight push will cause themovable part to approach the fixed part and then descend against thesame by the force of gravity, as in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig.3. ln elevating the movable part the guide-bar J will, in connectionwith the guide-block K, swing the front F to an upright position, thebar sliding in the block. The bars and blocks when used in pairs alsoprevent twisting movements of the movable top in operation. By merelydrawing the movable part of the top forwardly the article may beinstantly converted again into a desk, the movable part descending bythe force of gravity after passing its poised position. It will beobserved that the board E forms part of the writingtable, thussupplementing the top board Dl when arranged as a low desk orwriting-table.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A convertibletable-desk comprising a frame, a stationary top part, a movable toppart, and two pairs of arms normally standing in inclined planes andpivoted to the frame and also to the movable top part and cooperatingwith the stationary top part thereby supporting the movable top partjointly by means of the arms and the stationary top part, the armspermitting the movable top part to be depressed at either side of thevertical positions of the arms.

2, A convertible table-desk comprising a frame provided with a pair ofpivoting-plates each having a pair of pivots attached thereto, two pairsof isolated arms mounted on the pivots, a movable top part pivoted tothe arms, and a stationary top part attached to the frame, the armsbeing adapted to be inclined and to hold the movable top part againstthe stationary top part in which position the movable top part issupported jointly by the arms and the stationary top part, the armspermitting IOO the movable top part to be depressed at either side ofthe vertical positions of the arms.

3. A convertible table-desk comprising a frame, a stationary top parthaving a projecting bottom and having sides extending below theprojecting bottom, pivoting-plates secured to the opposite sides of theframe in a plane below the projecting bottom,radiallymovable armspivoted to the outer sides of the pivoting-plates, a pair of the arms ateach side of the frame and having an upper plate pivoted to the endsthereof at the sides opposite to the pivoting-plates, and a movable toppart secured to the upper plates at the sides thereof opposite to themovable arms, said arms being normally inclined, and said top part being normally held against the stationary top part by the inclination oflsaid arms and the force of gravity.

4. A convertible table-desk comprising a frame, a stationary top partfixed to the frame, stationary plates attached to the frame,radially-movable arms pivoted to the stationary plates, a movable toppart provided with a hinged guide-bar at the upper forward portionthereof and having plates attached to the inner faces of the sidesthereof pivoted to the movable arms, a front pivoted to the frame, and aguide-block secured to the front and slidingly engaging the guide-bar.

5. In a convertible table-desk, the combination of a frame, a stationarytop part, a movable top part, and supporting means for the movable toppart comprising a pair of sta tionary pivoting-plates extending alongthe sides of the frame and having ianges bearing upon upper surfaces ofthe frame, a pair of pivoting plates secured to the movable top part,and two pairs ofarms pivoted to the stationary plates and also to thepivoting-plates, whereby the movable top part may be held against thestationary top part and Vpartially supported thereby.

6. In a convertible table-desk, the combination with a frame having ahinged front and with a movable top part, of a pair of stationary platessecured to the frame, a pair of pivoting-plates secured to the movabletop part, two pairs of radially-movable arms pivoted to the stationaryplates and also to the pivotingplates, a plurality of guide-blocksattached to the inner sides of the hinged front, and a plurality ofguide-bars hinged to the upper forward portion of the movable top partand slidingly engaging the guide-blocks, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

4 THOMAS M. MCKEE.

Witnesses: i

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SILvrUs.

